Electrical contact insertion-extraction tool

ABSTRACT

A contact insertion-extraction tool for removing an electrical contact from a connector assembly. A pair of semi-cylindrical portions define a cylinder having an opening at the front end thereof. The rear ends of each of the portions are each secured to a bracket with alignment means on said bracket for assuring correct alignment of the semi-cylindrical portions. The alignment means may be formed of a tongue and groove arrangement on each of the brackets. Further, a tip protector may be provided to protect the front end of the portions when the tool is not in use, as well as to provide protection for the tool operator when the tool is in use.

United States Patent Anhalt et al.

[451 July 18, 1972 [54] ELECTRICAL CONTACT INSERTION- EXTRACTION TOOL[72] Inventors: John W. Anhalt, La Crescenta; Robert M.

Morrison, Glendale, both of Calif.

International Telephone and Telegraph Corporation, New York, N.Y.

22 Filed: March3l, 1971 21 Appl.No.: 129,786

[73] Assignee:

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,377,689 4/1968 Kimmett..29/203 H Pn'mary Examiner-Thomas H. Eager Attorney-C. Cornell Remsen,Jr., Walter J. Baum, Paul W. Hemminger, Charles L. Johnson, Jr. andThomas E. Kristofferson [5 7] ABSTRACT A contact insertion-extractiontool for removing an electrical contact from a connector assembly. Apair of semi-cylindrical portions define a cylinder having an opening atthe front end thereof. The rear ends of each of the portions are eachsecured to a bracket with alignment means on said bracket for assuringcorrect alignment of the semi-cylindrical portions. The alignment meansmay be formed of a tongue and groove arrangement on each of thebrackets. Further, a tip protector may be provided to protect the frontend of the portions when the tool is not in use, as well as to provideprotection for the tool operator when the tool is in use.

6 Clains, 13 Drawing Figures ELECTRICAL CONTACT INSERTION-EXTRACTIONTOOL The invention relates in general to electrical contactinsertion-extraction tools and, more particularly, to a self-aligningtool for removing electrical contacts from an electrical connector.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Conventional contact insertion andextraction tools are utilized in rear release type contacts to spreadthe inwardly extending tangs of a clip member so as to allow insertionor removal of an electrical contact. Heretofore, one type of insertionand extraction tool was a one piece plastic type tool. Such a tool,depicted in US. Pat. No. 3,1 10,093, is made of tip members which havebeen necessarily thin so as to enable the tool to be inserted in theclearance space between the contact and a bore of the connectorinsulator member. The net result has been cracking or splitting of thetool member when used for extended periods of time. An alternative typeof tool utilized metal tips which were mounted on a pliers type member.Extreme care was required in assembling the tips to insure properalignment of the tips in the tool. The tips in the tool, which weretypically made of two halves, could be easily misaligned, causingexcessive wear on the connector grommets during insertion and extractionof the tool with the resultant possibility of poor service duringoperation of the tool.

In order to overcome the attendant disadvantages of prior art electricalcontact insertion-extraction tools, the present invention utilizes atool which is self aligning during operation. Moreover, portions of thetool may be readily manufactured from a one-piece hermaphroditestamping. Moreover, the tip portion of the tool may be readily removedfor insertion of different sized tips for use with different sizedcontacts.

The advantages of this invention, both as to its construction and modeof operation, will be readily appreciated as the same becomes betterunderstood by references to the following detailed description whenconsidered in connection with the accompanying drawings in which likereferenced numerals designate like parts throughout the figures.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 depicts a top view of thecontact insertion-extraction tool in accordance with the invention;

FIG. 2 illustrates a side view, partly in section, of the tool of FIG.1, taken along the line 22;

FIG. 3 shows a side view, partly in section, of the tool of FIG. I takenalong the line 33;

FIG. 4 depicts a sectional view of a portion of the tool taken along theline 4-4;

FIG. 5 illustrates a sectional view of a portion of the tool of FIG. 1taken along the line 55;

FIG. 6 shows a perspective view of the bracket portion of the tool ofFIG. 1;

FIG. 7 depicts a top view of a portion of the tool of FIG. 1 with thetool in a stored position;

FIG. 8 illustrates a sectional view of the tip protector of FIG. 7 takenalong the line 8-8;

FIG. 9 shows a sectional view of a portion of the tool at the mountingjunction of the tool and tip protector taken along the line 9-9.

FIG. 10 depicts a perspective view of an electrical connector memberused in combination with the tool of FIGS. I-9;

FIG. 11 illustrates a sectional view of the insulator portion of theconnector of FIG. 10 prior to inserting the tool in the insulator;

FIG. 12 shows a sectional view of the insulator of FIG. 10 and 11 withthe tool fully inserted; and

FIG. 13 depicts a sectional view of the insulator of FIGS. 10-12 withthe tool partially withdrawing an electrical contact from the insulator.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring now to the drawings,there is shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 the contact insertion-extraction tool 22made in accordance with the principles of the invention. The tool isformed of a tip portion 24. The tip portion is secured to a bracket 26,the bracket in turn being secured to a holder 28. Fixed to the holder 28is a tip protector 32.

The tip portion 24 and bracket 26 are shown in greater detail in FIGS.3-6. The tip portion is formed of a pair of identical nose portions 34defining half cylinders, whose front end define a circular opening 36.The rear end of the nose portions 34 are each secured to a pair ofrearwardly flaring transitional half sections 38 which connect each ofthe nose portions 34 to a pair of U-shaped members 42 which when closedas shown in FIG. 5 define a square in cross-section.

The bracket 26 is formed of a pair of identical half-sections 44, one ofwhich is shown clearly in perspective view in FIG. 6 separated from thetip portion 24.

The bracket half-sections 44 are each formed of a generally U-shapedbody portion having a pair of legs 52, 54 which are interconnected bymeans of a base 56. Extending from the leg 54 in a plane parallelthereto, but having a slightly smaller width, is a tongue portion 58.The leg 52 has a raised portion 62 which as can be clearly seen in FIG.5 allows the tongue 58 of one bracket half-section to be inserted into agroove 64 of the other half-section formed by raised portion 62.

The rear portion of the U-shaped members 42 are concentrically mountedwithin the U-shaped body portion of the halfsections 44 and are solderedor welded thereto as at 65.

Extending rearwardly from the base 56 of the bracket is aninterconnecting support 68 which is centrally tapped as at 72. Thesupport 68 may be formed from an integral stamping of the bracket 26 andformed by bending the support back between the legs 52 and 54 of thebracket as shown in FIGS. 3 and 6.

The holder 28 is formed of right hand section 82 and a left hand section84. The sections 82 and 84 contain a pair of parallel positioned rearends 86, 88 which are joined together at their inner facing surfaces asby soldering or brazing. Extending forward from the rear ends of theholder, each of the sections 82, 84 diverge outwardly as at 92, 94,respectively. Transverse openings 96 are formed at the front end of eachof the sections 92, 94, the opening 96 shown more clearly in crosssection in FIG. 9.

Extending forward from the sections 92, 94, are a pair of divergingsections 102, 104, respectively. The section 102 has a height one-halfthe height of the section 92, the reduced height being formed by thebottom half of the wall being removed, while the section 104 has its tophalf removed so as to allow the sections 102, 104 to intersect and crosseach other. Then the diverging sections 102, 104 are once again at theirfull height as at 106, 108, respectively. Then the sections 82, 84extend as forward portions 112, 114 in parallel planes. Near the frontend of the portions 112, 114 an opening is provided for set screw 116which secures one of the holder sections to each of the brackets 26 atthe tap 72.

Near the rear end of the section 114, a first transverse knurled portion122 is provided, extending from the top surface of the portion 114towards the portion 112. Further, a second transverse knurled portion124 is mounted approximately in the center of the section 112 andextends towards the front portion 114. The front end of the knurledportion 122 is adjacent the rear of the knurled portion 124. Each of theknurled portions 122, 124 is formed integral with the top surface of therespective portions 112, 114, respectively.

The tip protector 32 is normally formed from molded rubber and has apair of strap portions 134 which have a gripping surface 136 formed onthe front outer surface thereof. A tit 138 extends transversely from thefront inner end of each of the strap portions 134 and allow the strapsto be fastened to the holders 28 with the tit 138 extending through theopening 96 of the holder.

The rear end of the tip protector is formed of a generally enlargedsemincylindrical portion 142, with the rear ends of the straps 134integral with the outer surface of portion 142. The end 144 of theportion 142 which is adjacent the straps 134 contains a slotted portion146 having a central circular opening 148 whose diameter is greater thanthe width of the slotted portion 146.

The tip protector is pivotable about the tits 138 and allows the portion142 to be mounted over the ends 86, 88 of the rear part of the holder 28when the tool is in operation as depicted in FIGS. 1 and 2. In thisposition, ends 82 are secured in the slot 146. Further, as can beclearly seen in FIG. 7, when the tool is not in use, the tip protectorcan be rotated so that the front end of the nose portions 34 are mountedin the circular opening 148.

Referring to FIGS. 13, there is shown an electrical connector member 150having an insulator 152 mounted therein. The insulator 152 has aplurality of passageways 154 extending therethrough. Each of thepassageways may contact a contact retention clip 156 therein of the typedepicted in US. Pat. No. 3,158,424. The clips 156 contain a plurality ofinwardly extending tines 158.

An electrical contact 162 having a front contacting portion 164 issecured at its rear end to a barrel portion 166. The rear end of thebarrel portion 166 is secured to a flange member 168. Extendingrearwardly from the flange member is a crimp or solder body portion 172to which the bared portion of a conductor 174 is secured.

The contact 162 is normally mounted in the insulator 152 in such amanner that the front surface of the flange member 168 abuts a rearwardfacing shoulder 176 of the insulator and the rear face of the shoulderabuts the tines 158, thus preventing the contact from moving axially inthe insulator.

When the holders 28 are squeezed inward in the direction shown by thearrows in FIG. 1, the front end of the tool is separated, as shown bythe dotted lines. Normally, the tool is made of a spring-like materialso that a spring insert is not necessary. However, a spring member couldbe inserted, most likely between the tits 138 so as to allow the tool toremain nonnally closed in the position shown in FIG. 1.

To remove an electrical contact from the connector, pressure is appliedto the holders, allowing the front end of the tool to open and aconductor such as conductor 174 of FIGS. 11 thru 13 is surrounded by thefront nose portions 34. Then the rear part of the conductor ispositioned over the knurled surfaces 122, 124 as shown in FIG. 10. Thetool is then inserted into the insulator in the manner shown in FIG. 11.The tool is inserted until the front end of the nose portion 34 abutsthe rear of the flange member 168. In this position, the tines 158 aredeflected outwardly and no longer abut the rear surface of the flangemember 168. The tool and conductor 174 are then withdrawn as shown inFIG. 13 with the resultant contact being removed from the insulator.

To utilize the tool as an insertion tool, the tip 24 and bracket 26 maybe replaced by removing the bracket and tip by means of the set screw116. An insert tip is identical to the extraction tip, the onlydifference being that for a given size contact and connector thethickness of the tip 34 is reduced a sufficient amount so that the outerdiameter of the tip is less than the outer diameter of the flangemember. In this way, when the tool and the contact are inserted, thetool and contact are substantially identical to that shown in FIG. 13.However, as the contact is inserted so that it would reach a positionshown in FIG. 12, since the outer diameter of the nose portion 34 isless than the outer diameter of the flange 168, the tines 158 will abutthe rear surface of the flange 168. Withdrawal of the tool will thenallow the contact to be in the position as shown in FIG. 11.

What is claimed is:

l. A contact insertion-extraction tool comprising:

a pair of semi-cylindrical portions defining a cylinder having anopening at the front end thereof, each of said portions haying a rearend, the rear end of each of said portions being secured to a bracket,means on each bracket for providing alignment of said portions when saidportions are in a first position which defines said cylinder;

and means connected to said brackets for moving said portions apart.

2. A contact insertion-extraction tool in accordance with claim 1wherein said alignment means comprises a tongue and groove arrangementformed on each of said brackets with the tongue of one of said bracketsbeing inserted into the groove of the other of said brackets when saidportions are in said first position.

3. A contact insertion-extraction tool in accordance with claim 1wherein said portions are movable in a direction generally perpendicularto the axis of said cylinder.

4. A contact insertion-extraction tool in accordance wit claim 1 whereinsaid semi-cylindrical portions are removably secured to said bracketsfor allowing different sized portions to be readily secured to saidbrackets.

5. A contact insertion-extraction tool in accordance with claim I andfurther comprising a protector means pivotally mounted on said tool,said protector means contains an opening sufficient to allow saidprotector means to be mounted on the front end of said semi-cylindricalportions so as to protect said portions when the tool is not in use.

6. A contact insertion-extration tool in accordance with claim 5 whereinsaid protector means contains a pair of concentric openings foralternately mounting one end of said protector at either end of saidtool.

1. A contact insertion-extraction tool comprising: a pair ofsemi-cylindrical portions defining a cylinder having an opening at thefront end thereof, each of said portions having a rear end, the rear endof each of said portions being secured to a bracket, means on eachbracket for providing alignment of said portions when said portions arein a first position which defines said cylinder; and means connected tosaid brackets for moving said portions apart.
 2. A contactinsertion-extraction tool in accordance with claim 1 wherein saidalignment means comprises a tongue and groove arrangement formed on eachof said brackets with the tongue of one of said brackets being insertedinto the groove of the other of said brackets when said portions are insaid first position.
 3. A contact insertion-extraction tool inaccordance with claim 1 wherein said portions are movable in a directiongenerally perpendicular to the axis of said cylinder.
 4. A contactinsertion-extraction tool in accordance with claim 1 wherein saidsemi-cylindrical portions are removably secured to said brackets forallowing different sized portions to be readily secured to saidbrackets.
 5. A contact insertion-extraction tool in accordance withclaim 1 and further comprising a protector means pivotally mounted onsaid tool, said protector means contains an opening sufficient to allowsaid protector means to be mounted on the front end of saidsemi-cylindrical portions so as to protect said portions when the toolis not in use.
 6. A contact insertion-extration tool in accordance withclaim 5 wherein said protector means contains a pair of concentricopenings for alternately mounting one end of said protector at eitherend of said tool.